Efforts to preserve the massive but decrepit Island Station Power Plant on the Mississippi River failed Wednesday as the St. Paul City Council deadlocked 3-3 on an ordinance that would have designated it as a local historic area.

The tie clears the way for Paul Breckner and the Breckner River Development group to market the 10.7 acres of land along Randolph Avenue without requiring a new owner to spend millions to fix up the property.

“We do have interested parties,” said a relieved Breckner after the tie vote on Wednesday. “We’ll be contacting them tomorrow.”

Breckner said the site is zoned “Traditional Neighborhood-2,” which allows a mix of residential and light commercial development. A new landowner could seek a zoning variance from the council.

The vote came as a blow to architect John Yust, who said he spent three years working on the Great River Passage, the city’s master plan for riverfront preservation, recreation and development. He said he worries that a buyer will tear down the building, undermining plans to create riverfront amenities there such as a nature center, climbing wall, coffee shop and small-scale marina.

Others believe that with the eyesore plant gone, those plans could get a boost. “I think it is the single biggest element of the Great River Passage plan,” said river planner Bob Spaulding, after the vote.

Spaulding’s employer, the Friends of the Mississippi, a nonprofit that specializes in river issues, rallied to Breckner’s side this week with a two-page letter to the council and an online announcement to 10,000 newsletter subscribers.

The group said that the 1923 coal plant, which was decommissioned in the 1970s, was falling apart and unmarketable, and tearing it down could ease the way for river-friendly development.

Council President Kathy Lantry joined Council Members Russ Stark and Chris Tolbert in voting against the historic designation ordinance. Council Member Dave Thune, Nick Khaliq and Dan Bostrom voted for it.

Council Member Amy Brendmoen was absent.

During discussion before the vote, Thune called the plant’s demise “demolition by neglect,” and said not preserving it from bulldozers would send a message to owners of historic properties that failing to maintain their buildings was acceptable.

“Once it’s gone, it’s gone,” he said.

Thune said the restoration of the Landmark Center in downtown St. Paul served as a catalyst for the opening of the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, as well as improvements to the St. Paul Central Library.

He had hoped a local historic designation for Island Station would inspire a historically sensitive redevelopment, much like the nearby Schmidt Brewery that is being converted into art lofts.

Stark, who voted against the historic designation, said Island Station never played as central a role in the city’s history as did the Landmark Center or the brewery, which once employed thousands of people.

Lantry said the city has limited resources to devote to historic preservation projects, and she felt other projects have greater priority.

Despite several attempts, preservationists had been unable to convince the state or federal government to designate the station a historic site, which might have opened the door to tax credits that could be sold to finance its restoration.

The Breckner River Development group acquired the site in foreclosure when developer T.J. Hammerstrom’s condo proposal failed.

Breckner said that it would cost millions to restore the century-old property, making residential development too expensive. He said he previously shopped the property to a number of developers, consultants and experts for guidance, without success.

Frederick Melo came to the Pioneer Press in 2005 and brings an aggressive East Coast attitude to St. Paul beat reporting. He spent nearly six years covering crime in the Dakota County courts before switching focus to the St. Paul mayor's office, city council, and all things neighborhood-related, from the city's churches to its parks and light rail. A resident of Hamline-Midway, he is married to a Frogtown woman. He Tweets manically at @FrederickMelo

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